


A Beary Happy Family

by platonic_boner



Series: Beary Happy [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, yet more puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 02:16:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13203630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/platonic_boner/pseuds/platonic_boner
Summary: The newest addition to Merlin and Arthur’s household is named Andrew.





	A Beary Happy Family

The newest addition to Merlin and Arthur’s household is named Andrew.

“He’s so _sweet_ ,” Gwen says, touching the baby’s tiny hand and watching his fingers curl around hers. He yawns at them all from Arthur’s arms.

Arthur beams down at him.

“I’m so glad they went with adoption,” Gwaine stage-whispers to Lance. “Can you imagine how much bullying their kid would get if they were allowed to name him?"

*

Andrew is given his own stuffed animals by his parents and many of their friends. (Their friends, pointedly, tend to choose stuffed animals that come with assigned names.) Still, despite Andrew’s hoard of stuffed animals, he likes Arthur and Merlin’s stuffed animals the best.

They keep Tiny far out of his reach because of his loose eyes, and CongRATulations and Creepy McCreepface are now permanently hidden because they make Andrew cry; but no one can say no when Andrew reaches his tiny fists towards the others.

Which is how Arthur ends up comforting Schrodinger’s Penguin as he prepares to put him in the laundry machine to wash off the half-digested apple juice and mashed carrots Andrew spit up all over him.

“It’s gonna be fun,” Arthur assures him, tucking the penguin into a mesh laundry bag like the internet told him to. “A nice little swim! Keep your eyes closed and it will all be over soon, and you’ll smell all pretty.” 

He keeps giving the stuffed animals variations of this pep talk for the first dozen or so times they have to wash one. After that, he gives up - it’s getting very tiresome.

*

Andrew is learning to talk and to verbally ask for things he wants, which is mostly a delight.

Except when he reaches for Fuck You Arthur and says, “Fffuh.”

He’s very confused when his parents react with mild horror rather than the congratulations he’s used to for attempting to form words.

“Oh, no, you did _great_!” Merlin says quickly, scooping him up into a hug. “You’re such a good little talker, you’re _awesome_. We need to change F- the bunny’s name _immediately_ ,” he adds to Arthur, over Andrew’s head.

“We could just shorten it to Arthur?” Arthur says, picking up the bunny who can definitely no longer be called Fuck You Arthur and giving him to Andrew like he wanted.

“That will confuse _everyone_ ,” Merlin says. “How about ‘Fudge You Arthur’?”

“Fudge for short?” Arthur suggests.

“Perfect,” Merlin says. “Hey, Andy, can you say Fudge?”

Andrew cannot, but they congratulate him for his attempts anyways.

*

Andrew falls off his bike when he’s five and needs three stitches in the cut on his forehead.

“You’re being so brave,” Arthur tells him, holding his hand and trying not to wince at the sight of the needle.

Merlin squeezes Andrew’s and Arthur’s combined hands, and tries to distract Andrew by saying, “You know what? When we’re done here, we’ll go to the good toy store, and you can pick out a new stuffed animal. Sound good?”

They get through the stitches with minimal tears, and stop at Andrew’s (and their) favourite toy store on the way home. Andrew picks out a sloth, and they spend the entire remaining day home debating what to call him.

“Plato,” Arthur suggests.

“I don’t get it,” Andrew says after a moment.

“Me neither,” Merlin says.

Arthur smirks. “That’s not a first.”

Merlin glares and thinks harder. This time it doesn’t take an entire week. “No, wait, I think I get it - because Plato was a philosopher,” he says.

“He was very philo- _sloth_ -ical,” Arthur agrees.

Merlin and Andrew give him identical pitying snorts.

“We can do better,” Andrew says.

“Draco,” Merlin says.

This time Andrew lights up after a minute. “Because he’s a _sloth_ -erin!” he exclaims, giggling.

“Exactly!” Merlin says, beaming.

“Draco the Slotherin,” Andrew agrees, petting his new sloth, stitches apparently completely forgotten.

*

For Andrew’s tenth birthday, Gwen accidentally gives him a panda that doesn’t have a name tag.

“Thanks, Aunt Gwen,” he says. “I think I’ll name her Monium.”

Merlin and Arthur high five.

Merlin is cackling. “I am so proud.”

Gwen sighs. “You two have clearly been a terrible influence on this innocent child!”

Arthur gives Andrew a high five, too.

*

When he’s fifteen, Andrew buys a stuffed hedgehog for a girl for Valentine’s Day.

“What if she doesn’t accept it?” he asks, nervously, before leaving for school that morning.

“Andrew,” Merlin says. He holds up the hedgehog. “Look at this face.”

Andrew looks, and smiles slightly. It’s an adorable hedgehog. They taught him well.

“Now look at _this_ face,” Merlin says, squeezing Andrew’s cheeks.

Andrew bats his hands away indignantly, because he’s a teenager.

“If she doesn’t accept the hedgehog, then she’s missing a chance to get to know someone really cool. But she’s _totally_ gonna accept the hedgehog,” Merlin says. “What’s his name?”

“Hedgehug.”

“ _Perfect_.”

(She accepts the hedgehog.)

*

When Andrew moves out to go to university, his dads tearfully present him with a stuffed animal.

It’s hard to tell if their tears are due to their emotions at their only child moving out, or laughter at finally making a pun they’ve been planning for his entire life.

“His name,” Merlin says, and then doubles over, laughing too hard to speak.

Arthur’s going to pretend that’s the reason he’s choked up, too.

“I get it,” Andrew says, taking the bison.


End file.
